A one-time employee of the Canadian Mint has been found guilty of smuggling $165,000 worth of gold from the building on Sussex Drive apparently in his rectum. A judge concluded the RCMP theory about how Leston Lawrence got the gold out of the mint was correct. As a seven-year employee he was largely unsuspicious to guards when he set off metal detectors 28 times in 2014-15. Hand detectors employed by the guards did not detect the gold inside the man’s body. He was brought to police attention by the Royal Bank when a teller noticed that cheques to Lawrence worth more than $15,000 from an Ottawa gold buyer were being deposited by an employee of the mint.

Leaside United Church has sent a note that it is open today (Wednesday, November 9) for those who are having a difficult time dealing with the result of the American election. The church invites visitors between 11 a.m.and 8 p.m. tonight.  It suggests silent reflections, the lighting of a candle for peace or a chat with others or with the Rev. Emily Gordon.  LUC

City Council approves SmartTrack proposal plan with fingers crossed about how it will be paid for. The Toronto Sun said the plan was accepted overwhelmingly in a series of 10 votes. They sealed the deal City staff negotiated with the province on the project, which now includes six heavy-rail stops on GO Transit lines and a new Eglinton West light-rail line.  CBC

Donald Trump, defying the pundits and polls to the end, defeated Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s presidential election and claimed an establishment-stunning victory that exposes the depth of voter dissatisfaction – and signals immense changes ahead for American policy at home and abroad. Seventeen months after the billionaire tycoon’s Trump Tower entrance into the race, the first-time candidate once dismissed by the political elite will become the 45^th president, Fox News projects. The electoral college vote Wednesday stands at Trump 306, Clinton, 232.

REPUBLICANS CONTROL ALL THREE BRANCHES

The Republican Party has retained control of both the Senate and the House of representatives after last night’s election. This will probably make the new president’s agenda much easier to adopt.

TRUDEAU MESSAGE

The Prime Minister congratulated the new president on his victory and made what may seem like a hopeful statement. “Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States. We look forward to working very closely with President-elect Trump, his administration, and with the United States Congress in the years ahead, including on issues such as trade, investment, and international peace and security,” the prime minister’s statement read. “The relationship between our two countries serves as a model for the world. Our shared values, deep cultural ties, and strong integrated economies will continue to provide the basis for advancing our strong and prosperous partnership.” Kathleen Wynne on Trump’s Wynne: “I was shocked”

Van Jones: "This was a 'white-lash' against a changing country" https://t.co/fVi0JzyFOr #CNNElection #ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/mWuTQqN83C

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 9, 2016

The Canada Citizenship and Immigration website crashes on US election night https://t.co/IJfrQIGbKV pic.twitter.com/L2iBMotjhF

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 9, 2016

Council in a vice as province requires answer by November 30. Does this smell right?  CBC

Jenna Lawrence scores 25 pts in Northern girls Basketball win (Toronto S.) semi 40:19 vs Leaside. Adv. To finals vs Oakwood @PrincipalNSS

— Mark Lawrence (@MarkLaw52184431) November 8, 2016

A City of Toronto solid waste worker has lost his job because of a hate-filled attack on parking ticket officers — one white, one black — accusing them of racism because they issued a ticket for parking in an accessible permit spot. The video surfaced in August and is a dispiriting rant of wrong-headed anger and vulgarity. In it, the man says: “You thought I was just a regular f–king n–ger, eh?” Later in the video he can be heard admitting to parking in an accessible parking spot outside of a supermarket in the Don Valley Parkway and Lawrence Avenue East area. “Buddy, I bought a lotto ticket and I was leaving,” he says to the officers. “I was literally like 45 seconds.” The video, which runs more than 11 minutes in length and is titled “This is why things will never change, I was racially profiled by another black man”, was uploaded to the website Vid.Me on August 10. Video of parking ticket tirade is loaded with racism

The TPS is holding a 25-year-old man alleged to have thrown a dog from the balcony of a 7-story apartment in Scarborough. This occurred on Firvalley Court in the area of Warden and St. Clair Aves The dog, a Beagle, died from injuries in the fall. Charges of animal cruelty charges have been laid. .

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says she plans to introduce legislation that would grant municipalities more tools to reduce speeding in school zones, including photo radar. The meaning of photo radar to ordinary careful drivers is an unknown. Will it slow down the reckless one? Will it bring a fine for motorists who let the needle creep one or two km over the limit? Will it save lives? Much remains unclear. Collected opinion from politicians in favour tends toward the need to frankly frighten people into being safe. But will it be fair? To begin, the Premier has talked about school zones and “community safety zones”. CBC

The Leaside Volleyball 18u boys have gold at the Humber pre-season classic tournament.

A huge sinkhole has hit the downtown of the Japanese City of Fukuoka city in the southern island of Kyushu. It began with two smaller holes that grew steadily until they formed one huge depression around 30m (98ft) wide. It is reminiscent but maybe larger than the sinkhole that took out part of Rideau Street in Ottawa last June